Nomama Artisanal Ramen
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 22, 2012
We planned to have dinner at Nomama Artisanal Ramen the other week. However, due to heavy rain in the Metro, we had to cancel. Considering the Deal Grocer coupon would expire on September 29, we had to reschedule it ASAP or else, we would have thrown away Php 1,000 worth of Nomama food!
Today, rain or shine, we went ahead and stormed our way to Nomama Artisanal Ramen. Several friends were actually surprised that I haven’t tried the food at the restaurant. I must admit I have this habit of trying out every new restaurant that opens in the Metro. Well, it’s better late than never! It was such a good timing as Nomama was celebrating their 1st year anniversary! They currently have a promo. Can you believe that you only have to pay Php 1.00 for your second ramen? This is available Mondays to Saturdays throughout the month of September 2012.
Since we got ourselves Deal Grocer coupons, we couldn’t avail of the Php 1.00 ramen promo. It was totally okay though as we wanted to try out Nomama’s non-ramen items.
I wondered what Nomama and Artisanal meant (Ramen is pretty self-explanatory) so I researched via the net and found this:
- Nomama means ‘not your mama’s ramen’ – I guess what the owner, Chef Him Uy de Baron, wanted to tell us is that Nomama Artisanal Ramen is different. It’s new and it’s not familiar to us.
- Artisanal means crafted in a traditional manner – Nomama Ramen prides itself for only using fresh organic products located in the Philippines. The chef doesn’t produce ingredients in bulk. They carefully prepare each ramen bowl as it should be (with care and with attention to detail).
The attention to detail can also be seen at the interior of the restaurant. Kids will definitely love looking on top as there are various toys hanging on the ceiling of Nomama Artisanal Ramen.
And yes, even the menu is super fun! You can turn the three different magnetic balls around while searching for food to order at the restaurant.
Siobs Debbie and I were supposed to eat lunch by ourselves but luckily, we saw sister Jocelyn and her family across our table! We joined them and we ended up eating a lot, lot more because they shared their food with us.
- Tofu Fries (Php 110)
I asked siobs Debbie if we can order tofu fries because I was really curious what it would look like and taste like. I initially thought that it would be super thin strips of tofu that will look exactly like traditional french fries. Apparently, I was wrong. It was as simple as rectangular shaped tofu fried to a crisp! The tofu fries was served with sweet chili sauce that complemented the tofu very well! This is a must-order!
- Pork Gyoza (Php 125)
“Ang sarap!” – those were the words that I heard from sister Jocelyn’s kids when they took a bite of Nomama’s classic pork and cabbage dumpling. Kids do not lie, right?
- Yasai Korokke Salad with Yuzu & Chili Aioli (Php 225)
There’s a surprise in every bite of these Japanese croquetes stuffed with white cheese. I do not want to expand further as not to ruin the whole experience in eating this refreshing starter. It’s a great salad and I must say, that I loved not just the taste but also the presentation. Lovely!
- Seafood Kilawin ala Japonaise (Php 320)
Fresh tanigue, prawns, cherry tomato, ginger and finger chili, coconut citrus dressing.
I don’t eat raw food so I wasn’t able to try this Japanese-style ‘kilawin’.
- Teppanyaki Vegetables (Php 230)
A vegetable dish order was our proof that we wanted to eat healthy 😛 Nomama’s Teppanyaki vegetables consisted of zucchini, asparagus, bok choy, cabbage, and carrots.
- Nomama Seafood (Php 360)
I enjoyed the tempura from Nomama especially the soft shell crab that was included in the order. I liked the lightness of the batter because it brought out the flavors of the main ingredients of the dish. Other items included were snapper, prawns, and eggplant.
- Nomama Ramen (Php 337)
Nomama’s signature dish is called Nomama Ramen. It was made of pork stock (cooked for 8 hours), chashu slices, two soft-boiled eggs, cabbage and seaweed. The ramen tasted just okay. However, I didn’t like the noodles because it was a bit tough. I must say that the soft-boiled egg was the star of this dish!
- Chicken Wings Ramen
While Nomama’s specialty is their Nomama Ramen, we all enjoyed the chicken ramen more. I guess the flavours were much in line with our tastebuds. This reminded me of the Chinese herbal soup commonly known as ‘sibut’.
- Kitayama Rib Eye (Php 2,300)
Yes, you read it right. This Japanese steak & fries was worth Php 2,300!!! It’s very expensive and no, I didn’t order it. I was able to eat a big portion of it though as sis Jocelyn put it on my plate. Who am I to refuse?
After having eaten it, I must say that the steak (200 grams) was perfectly cooked. The meat was very tender and I loved the miso butter flavour in it. I still think the rib eye was priced high and I wish they could offer it at a lower price.
Finally, I can say that I tried out Nomama Artisanal Ramen! I sometimes feel obligated to try out as much restaurants as possible because people tend to ask me for restaurant advice.
I liked Nomama and I think I will be back (especially for their tofu fries)! I wish to meet Chef Him Uy de Baron in the future. It’s always nice to hear stories from owners on how they made their businesses successful. Happy 1st anniversary Nomama!
——————–
Nomama Artisanal Ramen
G/F FSS Bldg. II, #18 Scout Tuason corner Scout Castor, Quezon City, Philippines
+63-2-9214913 / +639165504373
Rockwell’s 2nd Ultimate Taste Test
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 19, 2012
It’s that time of the year again where foodies have a chance to try out food from a lot of establishments in one day. I really appreciate this rare chance considering it takes a lot of time and effort to go to a single establishment.
With Ultimate Taste Test, we don’t need to go to 40+ different places to try out their bestseller product/s. All we need to do is to sign up for the event, pay a minimal fee and then go & enjoy the yummy specialties from home-based food businesses in one single venue.
I was pretty impressed with how organised last year’s Ultimate Taste Test event in Rockwell Tent was. So when I got an invite for the 2nd Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test, I couldn’t say no. I would imagine myself going through each booth sampling food and appreciating what I tasted. I wasn’t able to try out all items last year that’s why I’ll be early this time so that I get first dibs!
For those who heard about Ultimate Taste Test just now, it’s a yearly event wherein we can be food critics for a day by sampling food products from different participating merchants. We will be given a scorecard when we register for the event. We will then get to rate the food on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest. We will also get a chance to share our feedback to the food supplier/s.
Interested?
Take note of the ff. information below:
- Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test — Be a Food Critic for a Day!
- September 15, 2012, Saturday, 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
- Rockwell Tent, Makati City
- exclusive to a maximum of 1,000 foodies with a limited sit-down capacity
- Php 585 per person
- Ticket covers (1) Food Taste Portions from a minimum of 40+ Home-Based Food Vendors & Power Plant Mall Restaurants and (2) A bottle of San Miguel Super Dry, Premium All-Malt or Cerveza Negra (for foodies 18 years old & above)
- Purchase tickets from Rockwell Customer Care (+63-2-8981702) during mall hours or Creative Juice Office (+63-2-5707827) during office hours
UPDATE:
I spent almost the whole day at Ultimate Taste Test X!
We tried to split our visit into two. First 20 stalls on our first 2 hours in the event and then we tried the rest of the food after we spent some time shopping. Guess what? In spite of the one-hour break, we just couldn’t eat anymore! The non-stop food tasting was tiring but it was very enjoyable!
Just like last year, each participant was given a passport. The passport served as a score sheet. Guests were asked to rate each of the dish that they tried out. Comments were also encouraged. I put several notes in there (not just how the food tasted but also the experience itself).
My friend Maus experienced UTT for the first time. She told me that it was a great bonding event and I do agree! The three of us even participated on a chicken dance game and got ourselves a box of yummy Villa del Conte chocolates! <3
Without further ado, here’s a list of my foodie finds at UTT X (I rated them all with a 5!):
- Maria’s Ilocos Empanada
More commonly known at the event as the orange empanada, this yummy piece of Ilocano dish was unforgettable! I enjoyed every bite of it! The ingredients inside were cooked and stuffed perfectly inside the crispy wrapper. I did notice that they missed the egg though. I had to try Maria’s Ilocos Empanada in its normal serving so that I can appreciate it better.
Maria’s Ilocos Empanada is located at 41 Regalado avenue corner Dahilia Fairview, QC. They also has a stall in Mezza Norte every thursday-saturday, 6pm to 3am at UP AyalaLand Technohub.
- New Zealand Natural
New Zealand Natural is the leading ice cream brand in New Zealand and Australia. I actually knew about it only during the event. I was just glad that they offered Superfruit sorbet during the taste test. I prefer sorbet over dairy ice cream not because it’s 99% fat free but it just tasted better. This was a nice discovery and I shall be on the lookout whenever I go to a mall where New Zealand Natural has a stall in.
Branches:
Ground Floor, Annex 1, SM City Fairview, fronting Gerry’s Grill.
5th Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, near the Atrium. Also near SM Business Center.
2nd Floor, Taste Buds, Pedro Gil Wing, near Dencio’s Grill, Robinson’s Place Ermita
- Frisch Liquor Ice Cream
Fire & Ice… Satisfy your desire.
What a tagline! I’m not a big fan of alcohol and I can’t even enjoy a bottle of beer! However, Frisch Liquor ice cream is too unique that I couldn’t help myself but take a scoop and try it out. I must say the combination of ice cream and wine was a nice one! It was good! I think this is one of the few products that has alcohol which I can take in.
Fischa Liquor Ice cream currently has eight flavors: Wine Berries, Choco Rumboozle, Lemony Snickety Punch, Zhivago Coffee, Chili Manjaro, Copabanana, Russian Winter, and Carami de Cerveza (my choice!).
You can get your fix of Fischa’s ice cream at Soderno in Molito Alabang Lifestyle Center, 6:00pm-12:00am.
- Masatami Shave Ice
I was itching to try out Masatami Shave Ice when I saw several people eating and enjoying it. When I finally arrived at the stall, I excitedly asked for the cheese flavour. I loved how fine the ice was plus the flavored syrup was mixed perfectly in it. It was super yummy!!! I wish I could have more!
Masatami Shave Ice can be found at the ff. branches:
South Arcade, SM Mall of Asia
Robinsons Galleria (in front of supermarket)
Cinema level, Glorietta 4
Robinsons Magnolia
- Villa del Conte
I’m not fond of chocolates but I’m starting to like it! I guess peer pressure is working now since everyone just loooooves chocolates! Maus was telling me that Villa del Conte’s chocolates are uberly delicious and that we should try it out! As soon as we arrived at Villa del Conte‘s stall, the owner jokingly told me to stop taking pictures and start indulging on the chocolates or else I’d regret it when I get home and review the pictures. He was funny! The blogger in me really had to take those pictures so I have something to share in this blog post about Villa del Conte.
From Villa del Conte’s brochure:
The cacao beans used in making our cioccolato are handpicked to ensure that only the beans of the highest standards are used in making our artisanal creations. Each piece passes through our unique process, which we perfected throughout the years. We believe that aside from our age-old practices, premium-quality cacao is the foundation of great chocolate.
Branches: 3/F Trinoma, 2/F Greenbelt 5, 3/F Shangri-La Plaza Mall & G/F Resorts World Manila
- Saint’s Alp Teahouse
The first item that I tried out at UTT was the blueberry double chocolate drink by Saint Alp Teahouse. I was so impressed with how good it was. There are tons of tea places in Manila but this kind of drink is unique to Saint Alp! Also, Saint Alp Teahouse was generous with the chocolates. With every sip, there were bits of chocolates! I loved it!
Saint Alp Teahouse can be found at:
2/F Regis Center, Katipunan avenue, Quezon City
G/F Forbeswood Parklane, Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
G/F Fox Square, Connecticut, San Juan, Manila
- Bayani Brew
It feels good whenever you see a product made by a non-profit organization such as Gawad Kalinga. Gawad Kalinga helps out fellow filipinos by providing them business opportunities such as this product that was made from their farm, Bayani Brew. There were two flavors available: lemongrass (calamansi mixed with lemongrass & pandan) and purple tea (made from camote tops). Each bottle costs about Php 35 and will be available soon in Metro Manila.
For now, you can get the product from Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm at Brgy. Encanto, Angat, Bulacan.
- Carlo’s Kitchen
WOW! That was the only word that came out of my mouth when I had my first bite of crunchy belly! My golly! It was too good but I know it was also unhealthy but what the fudge, I did not care! Carlo’s Kitchen must have perfected the process of cooking pork belly! I’ll surely get some more in the future 🙂
Carlo’s Kitchen branches:
Midnight Mercato – Fri and Sat 10pm to 3am
Distrito at the Makati Med Open Parking – Wed to Fri 9pm to 3am
Mezza Norte at the UP-Ayala Technohub – Thur to Sat 6pm to 3am
The eight items I listed above got a 5 rating from me! If you stumble upon any of the establishments that serve those yummy food, do not miss the opportunity of trying out their food items. You won’t regret it! They were so good that I wish I got more servings.
Anton’s foodie notes was a good guide so I’m sharing with you my own thoughts after attending the event.
- Battle of the Empanadas: Which is the BEST for you, Maria’s Laoag Ilocos Empanada (Orange) or Mac Vigan’s Empanada (White)? I liked the orange empanada (Maria’s Laoag Ilocos Empanada) better because it was tastier and had more flavor. I had to say though that Mac Vigan’s owner was one of the friendliest suppliers in the UTT event.
- Is Villa del Conte the best chocolate in Manila? It’s not a secret that I’m not a lover of chocolates. I, however, would say that I respect the brand very much. Considering how everyone would go back to their stall a lot of times to get more chocolates says a lot about Villa del Conte. My friend was raving about it all day too! Not to mention, our memorable chicken dance stint at the stage just to win a box of Villa del Conte. It was well worth it!
- Bato Bato Pick: Baked Bites by ABC’s Nutella Rocks or Chow Fun’s Dark Chocolate Buchi? Chow Fun’s Dark Chocolate Buchi! 🙂 You have to be careful while eating the buchi as the chocolate oozes out of the ball once you get a bite of it!
- Will Fruit Garden’s new flavors (Berry Dream and Tropical Paradise Jam) and Baked by Anita’s new flavors (Wild Mushroom Pie w/ Gruyere & Truffle Oil and Surprise Tart) win UTT X? I think Fruit Garden has a chance to win because their jam stayed true to the original taste of the fruit. While I liked Baked by Anita’s products, I think other suppliers might snatch the win from them.
- Foodies are raving about the Panchados (Mechado on Pandesal), do you like it? Too bad Panchados was one of the items that we couldn’t try anymore. We were too full! 🙁
- Battle of the Ice Cream: Pinkberry’s Yogurt vs. Frisch Liquor Ice Cream vs. Lulubelle’s Frozen Custardvs. New Zealand’s Premium Ice Cream vs. Masatami’s Shave Ice? Which is the best? Among the 4, my choices are New Zealand’s Premium Ice Cream and Frisch Liquor Ice Cream. Both tasted unique and memorable.
- Perfect Combination: Skew U‘s USDA Beef Tapa and Kusina Reyes‘ Aligue Rice. I agree 100%!
- Battle of the Drinks: Will Gawad Kalinga’s Lemongrass Pandan Iced Tea and Purple Leaf Iced Tea or Swizzle’s Caramel Beer and Swizzle’s Rainbow Shots win the drinks battle? Gawad Kalinga’s Bayani Brew wins for me! Their Purple leaf iced tea was my favourite drink during the day! I can’t wait for them to make Bayani Brew available on all leading supermarkets in the Manila.
For those who missed the Ultimate Taste Test events this year, don’t fret! 2013 is fast coming. I’m already looking forward to the next UTT!
——————–
Rockwell’s 2nd Ultimate Taste Test
September 15, 2012
admin@ultimatetastetest.com
Rockwell Tent, Makati City, Philippines
Project NOAH
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 12, 2012
It’s really admirable that government agencies are easier to reach now. The first agency that most of us are happy about is MMDA. Recently, when we were badly hit by a nameless monsoon, another agency stood out: DOST-Pagasa.
We saw how those two agencies helped us out fellow Filipinos through information dissemination via social media. I’m particularly happy as both MMDA & DOST-Pagasa are now embracing technology. We became more effective!
During the habagat days, I noticed tweeps following a certain @nababaha. @nababaha is the Twitter account of Professor Mahar Lagmay, a disaster scientist. Mr. Lagmay mentions Project NOAH frequently on his Twitter account. I still did not know what Project NOAH is until I got invited for a media event (organized by GetReadyPinas & #SmartActs) regarding the tool.
In this post, I’ll be sharing what I learned about Project NOAH: how it started, how it works and how we can use it effectively.
Background
Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) was launched by the Department of Science and Technology when President Noynoy Aquino instructed the agency to put in place a program for disaster prevention and mitigation.
Considering our country’s location, Philippines cannot escape typhoons, tsunamis or earthquakes. That’s why it is important for the government to implement measures so that we can prevent fatalities, infrastructure damages and economic losses due to our sensitive climate. If DOST can provide a 6 hour lead-time warning to vulnerable communities against threatening floods then it can definitely make a lot of difference.
Project NOAH’s vision is to assure homeland security by reducing casualties and property loss from extreme hazard events and build disaster resilient communities in the Philippines by way of establishing research and development platforms and the promotion of frontier science and technology in disaster efforts.
To become a world leader in programs that leverage on advanced science and technology to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards.
During the past months, NOAH integrated existing disaster science research & development projects and initiated new efforts in order to achieve its objective. Companies like Smart Communications and Digitel Mobile Philippines partnered with DOST through the NOAH program in developing systems, tools and other technologies to help prevent and mitigate disasters.
DOST will install 600 automated rain gauges and 400 water level measuring stations (river sensors) for 18 major river basins of the Philippines, namely: Marikina River Basin, Cagayan de Oro River Basin, Iligan River Basin, Agno River Basin, Pampanga River Basin, Bicol River Basin, Cagayan River Basin, Agusan River Basin, Panay River Basin, Magaswang Tubig River Basin, Jalaur River Basin, Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin, Agus River Basin, Davao River Basin, Mindanao River Basin, Tagum-Libuganon River Basin, Tagaloan River Basin and Buayan-Malungun River Basin. Other river basins will follow soon after the work on the 18 major river basins is completed.
Sensor readings from both the rain gauges and river sensors will be transmitted to the central database of DOST at least four times every hour. Information generated shall be shared to all of us through media and communication channels.
Project NOAH
We are in luck! The NOAH team has made the system available online! I heard that an Android version is on the works while there are plans to have it made for iOS and other platforms.
Here’s the site where we can access Project Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH): http://noah.dost.gov.ph/.
Now that weather monitoring tools are accessible to us, we are equipped to prepare for the next disasters to come. We must embrace this development. I must admit it took some time for me to understand the system but it’s all worth it 🙂
Accessing Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH)
- Get in the NOAH site by typing noah.dost.gov.ph in your browser
- Type in a location in the Philippines where you want to get information. For me, I typed Quezon City as I live there. You can also use the zoom feature of the Google Maps (located at the left side of the map) to get to a location.
- You can choose which view you want: Street, Hybrid or Terrain. Default view is Terrain. Personally, I opt for Hybrid. It just looked so much cooler 😛 You can toggle options on the right hand corner of the map.
NOAH Features
There are a lot of information that we can get from the system. Honestly, just by going through the NOAH site made me learn a lot of things about rains and floods. I have renewed respect for the hardworking people in DOST especially PAG-ASA.
- Weather Outlook/Probability of Rain
The percent chance of rain (PCOR) is calculated every 30 minutes for all major cities of the Philippines. The forecast is done for 1, 3 and 6 hours lead time.
According to DOST, this feature isn’t only used for disaster preparedness but for farmers who want to know when to dry rice grain, fishermen who would like to check the sea condition, construction workers who need to know when to pour cement, and housebands who need to ensure fresh and sweet-smelling laundry.
This feature alone is already extremely useful and this is just one of many!
- Flood Map
Flood maps indicate flood height and extent given a rainfall scenario. In order to understand the colors, you have to press the “legend” tab in the top right of the panel. The flood height was based on an average height of a Filipino: 5 feet and 5 inches in height. Red color means flooding greater than 1.5 meters, orange means flooding 1.0 meter high and yellow color means flooding less than or equal to 0.5 meter.
The intensity of rainfall is categorized by how often rainfall of that amount falls in a given area. Both light and heavy rains happen regularly in a certain area, but the volume of rainfall is proportional to the recurrence interval; moderate rainfall occurs every 5 years, heavy rainfall occurs every 50 years, extreme rainfall such as Ondoy occurs only every 100 years or longer.
- Weather Stations
Weather stations (Temperature) show the amount of rainfall, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, and humidity of a geographic area.
Stream gauges (Water Level) show the water level in rivers in real time. Sudden increase or unusual height of the river may indicate possible flooding.
Rain gauges (Rainfall) reflect the amount of rainfall that pours in a given area. The intensity of rainfall can be classified into light (<2.5 mm/hr), moderate (2.5<7.5 mm/hr), heavy (7.6 < 15 mm/hr), intense (15 < 30 mm/hr), or torrential rain (>30 mm/hr). They are color coded as light blue (light rain), blue (moderate rain), dark blue (heavy rain), orange (intense rain) and red (torrential rain). The amount of water collected by the rain gauges are measured in millimeters every 10, 15 or 20 minutes. The graphs that represent the measured values are in millimeters/hour.
- Overview
MTSAT or Multi-Functional Transport Satellite are a series of weather satellites which contain Infrared sensors which detect the extent of cloud cover, as visible from space. The images provide a view of the clouds and general weather condition of the Philippines and surrounding seas.
Rain, temperature, and pressure values are shown in different contour maps for the whole country using linear interpolation. By looking into these contour maps, you are provided with a quick look at the rain, pressure and temperature condition of every part of the Philippine land territory.
- Doppler
Doppler radars are configured to detect moisture or precipitation in the air and calculate its volume and movement. The different colors of the doppler image represent rainfall intensity in mm/hr and would help you determine if the rain cloud hovering your area could precipitate light, moderate, heavy, intense or torrential type of rain.
It’s rainy season again. I’m just glad that we have NOAH to refer to for weather-related information. I cannot wait for the mobile versions to come out! For now, we stick to the web to access the tool. I suggest that you follow @dost_pagasa and/or @nababaha via Twitter as well for updates.
——————–
Project NOAH
http://noah.dost.gov.ph
Phantom of the Opera in Manila 2012
Posted by geekbubble On September 4, 2012
I was so ecstatic when I got an invite to watch The Phantom of the Opera as one of the TweetSeaters! We were tasked to tweet the famous play while we were watching. I enjoyed the play so much that I couldn’t hide my excitement and awe. I was tweeting how I admired the actors, the props, the effects and the sound system! It was just too awesome/too good! It would be such a shame if I don’t share it to everyone in the Twitterverse.
I brought along sioti Mark to #PhantomInManila. He told me that it was his 1st time to watch a musical. Wow! FIRST time! Considering we were watching Phantom of the Opera, which is one of the best musicals of all time that should be an experience in itself. I then asked sioti Mark if he could guestblog in HeaRty’s Haven, I know he’s the best person who could describe the whole Phantom of the Opera experience.
I shall give this space to Mark, known as geekbubble in the online world. Thanks sioti! I feel honored that you agreed to share your wonderful experience in this blog 🙂
You can find Mark on Twitter (@geekbubble) and on the ff. websites: geekbubble.com and http://about.me/markong.
[Roch’s Note]
Whenever I come across High School Musical and Glee on TV, my eyeballs involuntarily roll themselves to the back of my head. I admit, musicals are just not my thing.
So when I was invited to be a part of Ticketworld’s Tweetseat program for the Phantom of the Opera, I immediately googled if it was worth my time. It was the longest running Broadway show, with more than 10,000 performances, and grossed $845 million USD to date. It piqued my curiousity, to say the least. This was my first live musical. I was excited. Kind of.
The storyline is nothing to write home about. It is tragic and romantic, but it has been unchanged since Gaston Leroux published his novel titled Le Fantôme de l’Opéra in 1910, which the original musical production was based on.
A synopsis from www.thephantomoftheopera.com:
Far beneath the majesty and splendor of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protégée Christine Daaé is so strong that even her heart cannot resist.
I came in a skeptic, but came out a fan. Let me tell you why.
Props and Costumes
Top notch. I almost cannot believe this level of creative brilliance can be pulled off on a local stage. From the costumes of the casts, to backdrops, to the intricate construction of partitions and furnitures, to the chandelier. Every props gave each cast and each scene its character to further draw you into the story.
Lighting, Effects and Sounds
Lighting does a lot more than just illuminating the set, it puts focus and depth to the scene and accentuates the props. Floating candles. Stars in the sky. Lighting of torches. The bluish green light combined with smoke effects gave that Gondola scene in the subterranean lake its magic. It was really a spectacle to behold.
The surround sound was also excellently utilized, giving Phantom’s echo that eerie and mysterious and elusive feel.
The technicality and synchronicity of everything is perfect. It is impossible to count the number of times i uttered the word “wow” under my breath – and i’m not easily awed.
Transitions
Seamless. A set transforms to another one in just a couple of seconds, all right before my eyes. The secret? Multiple layer of curtains and lighting. The action was brought to the front while the space behind the second curtain was being prepped for the next scene. Amazing! Everything was smooth and efficient. There were no dead air nor uncomfortable pauses spent waiting for the next set to be ready.
Music and the Play
I guarantee you, you will get hooked with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music. The melody is catchy and the lyrics are heartfelt. The orchestra were amazing! Perfectly layering different musical instruments to achieve an excellent aural experience. I have been listening to the Phantom of the Opera soundtracks for 6 days already – straight. It even managed to replace “Call Me Maybe” that has been stuck in my head for weeks. Ha!
Some of the popular songs are:
- Think of Me
- Angel of Music
- Phantom of the Opera
- Music of the Night
- All I Ask of You
- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
The casts were fantastic. The chemistry between Raoul and Christine was evident in their acting. The Phantom exuded fear and terror but his duets with Christine were very passionate and emotional. Everybody was incredible. I never clapped so hard and so long in my entire life.
The list of principal casts are as follows:
- The Phantom – Jonathan Roxmouth
- Christine Daaé – Claire Lyon
- Raoul de Chagny – Anthony Downing
- Monsieur Richard Firmin – James Borthwick
- Monsieur Gilles Andre – Jason Ralph
- Carlotta Giudicelli – Andrea Creighton
- Ubaldo Piangi – Dondi Ong
- Madame Giry – Rebecca Spencer
- Meg Giry – Cat Lane
——————–
Everything was executed exceptionally. It was a total feast of the senses. After the most stimulating two and half hours I spent inside the theater, I came out with a stupid grin on my face, with a newfound love for theatrics. It immediately diminished all my prejudices about musicals. It was indeed an unforgetable theater experience.
If you think that all this post did was praise everything about the Phantom of the Opera, it is because it really is THAT excellent. If you’re on the fence about watching, just go for it. It will be worth your time and money, trust me.
Season is extended until October 14, 2012, and seats are running out fast. Hurry and book your tickets now on http://ticketworld.com.ph.
Discounts:
Student discount for Balcony 1 and 2 seats. Just show your ID!
Family package, buy 4 tickets and get 40% off on the 3rd and 4th ticket.
Binalot is on Multiply
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 4, 2012
“Binalot ka ba kasi pag binuksan ka, busog na ako.” said a blogger during the Binalot-Multiply launch two months ago. When I think about it, it actually holds true to the company, Binalot Fiesta Foods, Inc.
The name Binalot is a tagalog term for wrap. Binalot wraps all their food items in banana leaf, a unique concept in the food industry here in the Philippines. I remember that I used to see Binalot in mall food courts. I’m glad that through the years, they expanded into a full restaurant.
This year, Binalot has achieved another milestone! Binalot is now available for delivery online! It’s a partnership between Binalot and online shopping site, Multiply.com. Executives from both companies explained what the partnership is about and how they came into it.
Binalot
Binalot CEO Rommel Juan explained the history of Binalot. Binalot started 1996 when Rommel and his 2 friends decided to open it up after getting tired of the usual fast food choices in the metro. Their first branch was in Jupiter which coincidentally is where the Binalot-Multiply launch was held (maybe the owners are sentimental :P). Real success happened when they started opening Binalot in mall food courts. From there, they started to offer franchises as well as expanded to more Binalot branches.
I especially liked when Rommel shared Binalot’s vision:
To be the Preferred Truly Filipino quick-service restaurant in the Philippines which promotes Filipino Culture and sustains the environment.
I appreciate the advocacy of Binalot’s team. They provide our favourite Filipino food yet they also help out in the community by using environment-friendly packaging. Apart from that, the advocacy also supports 50+ families in Laguna, Zambales and Albay.
With regards to their new food delivery service, Rommel had this to say, “We are excited about this new innovation for Binalot. Binalot is the first fast food delivery service to partner with Multiply and take advantage of their advanced ordering systems and vast online reach. We believe that with this partnership Binalot’s customers may enjoy a faster and more convenient way of ordering their favorite Binalot meals.”
Multiply
Meanwhile, Multiply’s Senior Manager for Merchant Relations Raffy Maramag introducted Multiply.com. Multiply launched in 2004 and was a social networking site with people sharing blog entries, photos and videos. However, the company dropped the social network aspect of Multiply completely and shifted to E-Commerce in 2012.
Raffy provided a demo of the Binalot ordering process. He also answered questions from the audience about the service. Binalot made use of the Multiply e-commerce platform which a lot of people are familiar with. This is definitely a step to the right direction considering the numerous advantages of ordering online versus calling the delivery hotline. Payment is also made easy since customers can pay online with credit card, debit card or Paypal.
Binalot on Multiply is focused on bulk orders. We were given a chance to try out some of Binalot’s bilao meals available for delivery on the Binalot-Multiply site. We were all so excited to try out the food! It’s Filipino food at its best! Eye candy all around!
* Legend: Medium-sized Bilao meals are good for 10 pax & Large-sized Bilao meals are good for 15 pax.
- Vivo Tocino
Sweet pork but immersed in oil… wahhh… I guess that’s really the ‘appeal’ of this popular breakfast dish. This is best eaten with rice. A small serving of Vivo Tocino is already good for one whole cup of rice.
- No Bones Daing na Bangus (Medium – Php699/Large – Php999)
I loved that the bangus bilao that Binalot served was boneless! This is one dish that’s so exciting to eat especially if you eat it with side dishes like salted egg and tomatoes (additional Php15 per pax).
- Bistek Walastik (Medium – Php679/Large – Php 969)
Bistek Walastik is commonly known as bistek tagalog. It is beef strips in tasty sauce. The onion rings are one of the obvious signs that you’re looking at a bistek tagalog. However, the super delicious sauce is what made me really like the dish. I’m just glad that Binalot has included this dish in their bilao lineup. This will surely be a hit!
- Pork Barbecue (Medium – Php699/Large – Php997.50)
Some are picky with Pork barbecue. They only eat the meat part! I, on the other hand, was looking for the pork BBQ stick with the most fat, hahaha! Oh well, the deadliest part of a yummy dish is always the best part! Binalot’s pork BBQ can be eaten as is or partnered with rice or fried noodles.
- Tapa Rap Sarap (Medium – Php739/Large – Php1,054.50)
Among all the dishes that night, I enjoyed Tapa the most. I was going for seconds as I loved the sweet and spicy taste of the dish. According to Binalot, the Tapa Rap Sarap is considered as one of their best-sellers.
Hungry yet? I surely do! It’s nice to enjoy old-time Filipino favorite food items done traditional style! I shall order some Binalot meals to bring home. I plan to eat them using my own bare hands (true Filipino style)!
Why don’t you gather your colleagues, friends and family for a fiesta-style meal? You can order in bulk through the new Binalot-Multiply site located at http://binalot.multiply.com!
Order in 6 Simple Steps:
- Select PRODUCT from the MENU list
- Choose the QUANTITY and click the BUY NOW tab
- Provide your EMAIL ADDRESS and SHIPPING ADDRESS
- Choose your PAYMENT OPTION and PLACE YOUR ORDER
- Put DATE/TIME of delivery in the COMMENTS BOX
- Wait for Binalot’s call to confirm your order
More information about Binalot Online Ordering System:
- BINALOT will ONLY process bulk-order in their online ordering facility.
- A minimum order amount of Php 1,000 shall be strictly observed.
- 1-day order lead time required. 2–3 days order lead time for orders above Php 5,000/to more than 200 persons
- Order Cut-off Time: 4pm.
- Orders received after 4pm will be processed the next day.
- A minimum 24-hour notice for changes in orders.
- Delivery Schedule: Monday to Saturday, 8am – 8pm.
- Delivery to Valenzuela/Muntinlupa/provinces is subject for Binalot’s approval
——————–
Binalot on Multiply
Minimum Order: Php1,000
1 to 3 days order notice
http://binalot.multiply.com